INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS – GOVERNMENT POLICY – AUSTRALIA

Coalition set to govern in own right

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Original article by James Massola
The Age – Page: 1 : 12-Jul-16

The Coalition has won the seats of Flynn and Capricornia, giving it 76 seats in the lower house. Meanwhile, the ABC’s election analyst Antony Green expects the Coalition to have about 30 seats in the Senate. Two seats in the lower house and three in the Senate remain undecided, but the Coalition is optimistic that it will have the numbers to pass its industrial relations reforms in a joint sitting of both houses. One Nation will boast three senators, and their support may be crucial for the Coalition to pass legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission and establish a Registered Organisations Commission.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, ONE NATION PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT

Numbers don’t stack up for joint sitting on unions crackdown

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Original article by Laura Tingle
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 4-Jul-16

Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg has conceded that the Federal Government would not have sufficient numbers to pass its industrial relations reforms in a joint sitting of parliament following the 2016 federal election. With the Coalition uncertain to be returned to office, it seems likely to have a combined maximum of 108 of the 226 seats in the upper and lower houses. Legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission was a trigger for the double-dissolution election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA

Coalition declines more IR changes

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 1-Jul-16

Cabinet secretary Arthur Sinodinos has indicated that the Coalition will consider the Productivity Commission’s recommendations on workplace reform if it wins the federal election. The Coalition has in the past expressed its intention to respond to the recommendations prior to the poll, but Sinodinos said the Coalition will consult with all interested parties before issuing a formal response. Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry CEO James Pearson says the business sector will continue to push for industrial relations reform.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. ROAD SAFETY REMUNERATION TRIBUNAL, ACTU

PM puts tax cuts on first day agenda

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 1 & 6 : 1-Jul-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the Coalition is a united team and is committed to implementing its economic plan. In his last major speech of the election campaign, Turnbull identified tax cuts for employees and small businesses as the Coalition’s top priority if it is re-elected. Industrial relations will also be a priority, including legislation to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. Turnbull also emphasised that a strong economy is essential for the delivery of government services such as healthcare and education.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, VICTORIA. COUNTRY FIRE AUTHORITY, NATIONAL PRESS CLUB (AUSTRALIA)

Coalition to beef up Fair Work

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Original article by Adele Ferguson, Sarah Danckert
The Age – Page: 2 : 19-May-16

The Australian Government will strengthen the powers of the Fair Work Ombudsman if it wins the 2016 election. It will also significantly increase the financial penalties for employs who underpay their staff. The FWO will also receive a $A20m increase in funding, while a Migrant Worker Taskforce will be established within the FWO in the wake of the 7-Eleven wage exploitation scandal. The taskforce will be led by Professor Allan Fels, who headed 7-Eleven’s now-defunct independent compensation panel.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN, 7-ELEVEN STORES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN TAXATION OFFICE

Crossbenchers open to negotiate stricter IR laws

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 30-Mar-16

Seven of the eight crossbench senators say they are willing to hold talks with the Australian Government regarding its proposed industrial relations reforms. The Government requires the support of at least six crossbenchers for its reforms to be passed by the upper house. Senator Glenn Lazarus has indicated that he will support the bill to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission provided its powers are broadened to cover other industries. Senator Jacqui Lambie is the only crossbencher to have ruled out negotiating with the Government.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS

PM seeks deal to avoid DD election

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 29-Mar-16

The Australian Government requires the support of at least six crossbench senators for its industrial relations reforms to be passed by the upper house. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has asked Family First Party’s Bob Day to intervene and persuade the other crossbenchers to negotiate with the Government. Turnbull has indicated that he is willing to broaden the legislation to address corruption in sectors other than the construction industry in order to avert a double dissolution election.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Voters missing full picture on ABCC

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 24-Mar-16

Voters are confused about the Federal Government’s plans to reinstate the Australian Building & Construction Commission. The Australian Labor Party opposes the creation of the ABCC, whose role would be limited to monitoring one industry sector. Yet when Labor was in power, former prime minister Julia Gillard argued at the ACTU Congress in Brisbane in 2009 that such a body was necessary. Her government subsequently established the Fair Work Building & Construction inspectorate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, FAIR WORK BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, AUSTRALIA. OFFICE OF THE FAIR WORK BUILDING INDUSTRY INSPECTORATE, CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, ACTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION

ALP & L-NP now too close to call as electors react to Government forcing Senate voting changes last week as Turnbull today recalls Parliament in April for Double Dissolution Election showdown

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Original article by Gary Morgan
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 22-Mar-16

This week’s Morgan Poll shows that the ALP (50.5 per cent, up 3.5 per cent) is now just in front of the L-NP (49.5 per cent, down 3.5 per cent) on a two-party preferred basis, after a chaotic week in which the Coalition Government with the help of the Greens forced contentious electoral changes through the Senate against the wishes of the ALP and the cross-benchers, who face losing their seats under the new system. Following on from last week’s Senate voting reform, Turnbull has turned up the heat on the Senate cross-benchers by deciding to recall Parliament in four weeks’ time to debate the reintroduction of the Australian Building & Construction Commission (ABCC). Turnbull has explicitly told the Senate cross-benchers to either pass the Bill restoring the ABCC or face a Double Dissolution Election on 2 July. To facilitate the potential calling of a Double Dissolution Election – which would have to be done by 11 May – Turnbull has also brought forward this year’s Federal Budget by a week, to the first Tuesday in May. Although the restoration of the ABCC is being used as a potential trigger to call an early election, the election will be fought on economic issues and taxation.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

ALP & L-NP now too close to call as electors react to Government forcing Senate voting changes last week as Turnbull today recalls Parliament in April for Double Dissolution Election showdown

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 21-Mar-16

A multi-mode Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention has found that support for Australia’s ruling Liberal-National Coalition on a two-party preferred basis has fallen by 3.5 per cent to 49.5 per cent. The poll, which was carried out on the weekends of 12-13 and 19-20 March 2016, also shows that the Coalition’s primary vote has fallen by three per cent to 40 per cent, while the Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating has risen by 1.5 points to 103.5. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan says that to reduce Australia’s "real" level of unemployment and under-employment the Government must introduce comprehensive industrial relations reform that cuts "red tape" such as lowering or eliminating excessive penalty rates for working on weekends and public holidays and which would lead to higher productivity and wages across the whole workforce. The Government must also make an effort to deal with Australia’s large "cash economy" that undercuts legitimate businesses and facilitates massive tax avoidance.

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, KATTER’S AUSTRALIAN PARTY, PALMER UNITED PARTY, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET